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ST. LOUIS – The Mississippi River began cresting near St. Louis Wednesday morning, but was slowly dropping at places north of the city and slowly rising to the south.

By Wednesday afternoon, a few smaller levees had been overtopped or breached, especially in Lincoln and Pike counties. But the makeshift levees in Clarksville, Mo., and Dutchtown, Mo., were holding. There were no reports of any Missouri towns in imminent danger.

Mississippi River levels were forecast to begin dropping in St. Louis on Thursday and go below flood stage by the beginning of next week.

A father and son were rescued from the river Tuesday near Crystal City after their small fishing boat became blocked by debris. Rescue crews advised staying off the river during flooding.

The Mississippi is expected to crest by Thursday morning in the Cape Girardeau area, but it will remain well above flood stage at most Missouri towns into next month.

Flooding also continues on the Missouri and smaller rivers, including the Meramec.